A busy day not at the office

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Well, not that one anyway. I obviously seemed in a productive mood on Friday, even from the moment I woke up.

We had a virtual #bellringing session at 10.30am but even before that I’d made a start on drafting a report that I wanted to get written. I had the results of a competition I’m running to share and that involved writing articles, emails and purchasing online prizes. I’d done most of that before #bellringing.

Ringing finished at 12 noon and after a brief chit chat, I went to the kitchen and cracked open the latest green box from BakedIn which had arrived that morning. C had already bought the fresh ingredients needed, so I had everything ready to start baking. I peeled and chopped a large cooking apple, made the cake batter, combined them. The cake was baking whilst I made the toffee sauce and the buttercream. For some reason I really can’t make toffee sauce. My sugar water never goes a lovely amber colour before the sugar starts to crystalise, so I end up catching it early, adding the butter and cream and the darkest I get is a pale beige. Tasted ok though. Cake made and, in the fridge, ready for the weekend.

Back to the in box. I have several. Three different #bellrigning accounts plus my personal account. I blitzed through a pile of emails that were either for information or needed a quick response from me. Then set about dealing with the more complicated ones. Some required further enquiry. Some required me to write another article and send that off. I currently have two articles awaiting publication in the Ringing World from different roles.

Speaking of being published, I was quoted in last week’s Sunday Express. The article was about getting more young ringers. I spoke with the interviewer at some length about the Ringing World National Youth Contest and the Young Change Ringers Association, neither of which were mentioned. I also pointed her to our website where she could download decent photos of bells and ringing but instead, they chose a photo of a European style bell. Well, at least we were in the national press again.

I needed to arrange several meetings, so Doodlepolls duly issued. Action Logs updated and circulated. I even remembered to ask for some details to be updated on a website and was given access to be able to do it myself. Oh, the power! It made much more sense to be able to update minor things like that myself than have to keep asking the webmasters to do it for me.

I managed to cross so many things off my To Do List I need to start another page and write out what’s left. Several of the things I’d accomplished will result in further work but for now they are with someone else to deal with and I’ll pick it back up later. I even dared to chase the Church of England about something too!

I really had no concept of time. The day flew by. So much achieved. A good day at the office I feel. At least I can now relax for the evening not worrying about the long list of things I still need to do. I only have a short list now!

The Instant Gratification Monkey

I was reading an online article from Tim Urban, who studied why procrastinators procrastinate. He possets that they can’t help it. In their brain the procrastinator has the Rational Decision Maker who steadily guides the mind in to doing what needs to be done, and then there’s the Instant Gratification Monkey who sideswipes things and sends the mind off wandering for some instant satisfaction for information or other, that takes us away from our steady path.

The Instant Gratification Monkey takes us off to play in what Urban calls the Dark Playground, that space where all the fun, new, shiny things hang out that distract us from what we should be doing. In the back of our minds though is this constant feeling of anxiety or regret for that looming deadline or that thing that we’ve been working towards for ages. When that deadline approaches though, it’s time for a visit from the Panic Monster who scares us away from the Dark Playground back in to a sense of productivity to get things done.

Urban offers three steps to turn procrastination into motivation:

recognise that you are procrastinating. Being aware of something is usually the first step in resolving it.
Understand the reason for the procrastination. Is it the task itself, or is it you? Is it that you aren’t enjoying it, not qualified for it, or feeling overwhelmed by it?
Set objectives, tactics and rewards. Depending on the reason for the procrastination in the first place it might be as simple as having a to do list if you’re feeling overwhelmed, or someone that holds you to account, or if you promise yourself a treat if you get that thing done.

There are times that I procrastinate. It’s not usually because I don’t want to do something, more that I don’t want to do that particular thing right now. I will send that email out but after I’ve watched this episode of that tv programme I like. I will write that report just as soon as I’ve finished making lunch. I will learn how to ring handbells properly, just as soon as I’ve written that report and sent that email. Sometimes it can become a vicious cycle.

Other days, I can blast through even the most boring, or painful task without so much as a second thought. It’s about the frame of mind that I’m in. Sometimes, I find being in a particular place, or with particular people helps galvanise me into action. Sometimes I just wake up and tell myself that today I’m going to power on through all that stuff and clear my to do list.

Today has definitely been one of the latter type of days. I’ve finished the first draft of a strategy document. I’ve documented a framework that I invented that supports that strategy. I’ve been for a power walk. I’ve read the next section on learning to ring handbells and had a few goes at it. My Rational Decision Maker was in charge today.

I wonder if that means tomorrow I’ll be all out of juice and my Instant Gratification Monkey will be running the show.

Day of Rest

Sundays are described in various parts as a day of rest. I wish. I usually have just as much to do on a Sunday as any other day of the week. And just because it was Mothering Sunday, that didn’t make any difference.

C and I are currently ringing 2 bells on a Sunday morning at the Cathedral, just to keep the bells sounding and the world outside knowing that the church is still there and what day of the week it is for all those for whom it seems a bit samey. When we come home its time for a vat of coffee and we’ve taken to having a lump of garlic and herb focaccia from the bread stall in town, usually warmed up in the microwave.

Sundays in this house is also the day of ironing. Ironing only gets done on a Sunday and if we’re not home for any reason it doesn’t get done and has to wait until the next Sunday. C has caught up with all the washing so there were about 3 loads that needed ironing. I don’t like doing the ironing (or any housework really come to that) but cannot abide wearing things that haven’t been ironed. It was an agreement we came to when we first got together. I’d do the ironing or cook Sunday lunch, not both. I think I lost out on that one.

Ironing is so mind numbingly boring though, so I have to watch something on TV to keep me at it. However, that can’t be anything that requires too much attention otherwise I’ll burn the shirts! I usually watch some mindless nonsense on Netflix. This week’s trash of choice was the final view episodes of Fate, the Winx Saga. A teen who finds out that she’s a fire fairy attends a magical school only to find out that she’s probably the most powerful fairy ever. Lots of teenage angst, love, hate, rebellion etc. Far too many Harry Potter derivatives. Its not great, but it passes the time.

By the time ironing mountain has been cleared, lunch is ready. Todays was roast beef, followed by chocolate pudding.

Only then do I get to sit down. However, not to rest. To sit down means to go through emails. To produce posters for things that need advertising this week. To set up Doodlepolls for various meetings of various workgroups that I organise. Oh, and I needed to make my breakfasts and lunches for the working week ahead. Biscoff pancakes for brekkie and chickpea pilaf rice for lunches. Oh, and whack out a cake because it’s our wedding anniversary tomorrow and I’ve got some buttercream to use up.

Then it’s time for the 10 bell Ringing Room #bellringing practice.

Only when all of that is done, can I then sit down and do nothing. A nibble of some cheese and crackers with a sniff of something to drink it our usual Sunday evening wind down. Now I can stop, and rest a while.

And it all starts again tomorrow.